As a journalist, I've a particular affinity for personal anthologies, wherein a writer takes material from the width and breadth of their career and presents it with commentary. That's what you get when you read Joe Evans III's Like A Bowling Ball Through the Door: A Personal Anthology Part One.
This photocopied and stapled 'zine collects material Evans wrote for magazines like Razorcake, as well as longtime punk scene staple MaxiumumRocknroll. The interviews were, for me, quite interesting, as they cover artists which have names or a couple of songs with which I'm familiar, but might not know anything past those few details. The interviews with the Goddamn Doo Wop Band and Hunchback, in particular, reveal an interviewer who is intensely familiar with his subjects.
As you read, you can tell Evans is a fan of the bands he's interviewing, but not a fanboy. The questions he asks, such as starting off his interview with the Unlovables by asking guitarist Frank about his involvement with Playboy, reveal that he knows more than the usual "So-and-so is producing your new record. What's that like?" information.
While the artists and labels interviewed in Like A Bowling Ball Through the Door might be a little obscure, and of limited interest to fans outside the underground pop-punk scene, the interviews themselves are worth examining for anyone looking for insights regarding interview techniques.
You can order the 'zine by contacting Evans directly via his website. It'll run about $5 shipped.
